


Constellation Kisses

by crimsonxraptor



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, M/M, Neck Kissing, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24304438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonxraptor/pseuds/crimsonxraptor
Summary: Near their roadtrip's end, Zack and Cloud spend some alone time under the stars.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	Constellation Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> for the prompt "following the kiss with a series of kisses down the neck"

“We’re almost there, but there’s nothing wrong with a little pit stop, right?” Zack suggests as he settles into the truck bed. Cloud shrugs.

  
“Guess not.” The middle of nowhere just outside of town wasn’t the worst.

  
They were on their way to Nibelheim for their hometown roadtrip; they’ll visit Cloud’s hometown first, then Zack’s, then make their way back to Midgar. The last time Cloud had visited his mom and Tifa was about two years ago when he had to take buses. The buses were worse, there were too many people. He had never felt more alone in a populated space--it wasn’t like he had any friends outside of Tifa back then.

  
But now there was Zack, once just a co-worker, then a roommate, now a partner. He was still as averse to forming relationships as ever but at least he was confident in his relationship with Zack in addition to Tifa. Also, spending time with one person in a pick-up for two days was infinitely better than a nice bus filled with other people.

  
Cloud sighs and watches the light scattering of clouds up above. There aren’t many places he’d rather be than right here, and maybe there aren’t any. He has Zack here and Tifa in a familiar place away from the hustle and bustle and conflict of the city. He knows he’s going to enjoy his time visiting home, showing Zack around and introducing him to his mom. Then, as they planned, Zack would take them to Gongaga to do the same.

  
“The stars are beautiful, huh, Cloud?”

  
Cloud exhales. He’s been staring up at the sky for what feels like hours but in reality may have been half an hour. The stars are nothing new, they’re always visible out here unlike they are in Midgar, but he guesses he missed them. There are a few reasons he thinks about moving back out of the city and, admittedly, the stars are one of them.

  
“Yeah, they are.”

  
Zack happily sighs, grinning. “Yep! Nothing like the night sky out here in the country. Midgar’s got nothing on this,” he says, echoing Cloud’s thoughts. 

  
Cloud nods. He shifts around on the bed of Zack’s pick-up truck, trying to get a little more comfortable. “Would be better if we had a mattress.”

  
“Aw, c’mon, we don’t need one! Besides, it’s not like either of us lugs around a blow-up one wherever we go.”

  
“Maybe we should start.”

  
Zack nudges Cloud and chuckles. The conversation dies down for a while, both of them taking in the vast expanse of the country’s night sky. Cloud feels so small underneath the stars in a different way he often feels overlooked in the city; at least out here it’s quiet. 

He lets out a big sigh and looks over at Zack. Zack looks more serene and relaxed than Cloud feels. He’s always been able to drop everything and chill out much better than Cloud; Cloud can’t shake the anxiety of missing a few days of work to visit family and friends.

  
“Hey, you’re breathing a little fast there,” Zack says and Cloud snaps back. He forgot to remind himself to remain in the present.

  
“Oh...thanks.”

  
Zack briefly coaches him through a breathing exercise, much to Cloud’s mixed feelings of gratitude and annoyance at himself. He has to stop thinking so much. He’s in the bed of Zack’s truck after a two-day drive from Midgar. He’s laying next to Zack in the truck bed. He’s looking at the beautiful stars out in the countryside a mere mile or so outside of Nibelheim.

  
Cloud releases another exhale and then waves his hand at Zack. “I’m good now, thanks.”

  
Zack grins. “Yeah, man, no problem.” He then rolls onto his side facing Cloud. “Y’know...we’re all alone out here. Not a single soul around.”

  
Cloud catches on and shuts his eyes. “Yeah.”

  
“No one. Na-da. Just us, just you and me, alone, by ourselves.”

  
“Mm-hm.”

  
Zack chuckles and leans in to hover over Cloud’s face. Despite Cloud’s attempt to play coy his face gets a little warm and his heart flutters. Zack is so nice to look at, maybe more than the stars, and he’s game for whatever Zack wants to do--he likes playing around almost as much as Zack does. 

  
“So...whaddya say?” Zack asks. 

  
Cloud pretends to think about it. “I guess I can go without seeing the stars for a while.”

  
Zack kisses him and Cloud eagerly kisses him back. They usually start off a little slower but something about being truly alone in the wilderness exhilarates them. Cloud accidentally bites Zack’s lip a little but it doesn’t slow Zack down; he chuckles for a moment and returns the small bite. It isn’t long until tongues slip in against each other, briefly each time lest they get a little too into it out in the open. 

  
Cloud’s shut eyes remain when Zack moves to kiss the corner of his mouth, then down his jawline, and as he moves to his neck Cloud stretches his head to the side to give him more room. He gasps as Zack leaves warm kisses down his neck, lingering on each one, sighing against his skin. 

  
“Zack...”

  
Zack pulls down Cloud’s shirt a bit to get to his collarbone which is where he then backtracks up Cloud’s throat until he can’t fit his face under Cloud’s chin. He pulls back and kisses across Cloud’s cheek to the corner of his mouth again then warmly against his lips. 

  
Cloud is a little overwhelmed by all the attention he was just given. He’s still recovering from his bashfulness and he tries to use his cold hands to cool down his face. Zack always leaves him as a small wreck no matter what they’re doing, which he finds somewhat annoying since Zack always seems just fine.

  
He grumbles when Zack kisses his cheek and Zack smiles at him. “You okay there?” he teases. 

  
Cloud takes a breath to compose himself. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  
“Just fine?”

  
“...You know how I feel.”

  
Zack snickers. “Yeah yeah, I do.”

  
He lays back down on his side and slings his arm over Cloud’s torso. Cloud shuffles in closer to Zack. “Aren’t you uncomfortable like that?”

  
Zack shrugs. “Kinda, but it’s fine, I can deal with it.”

  
“We could just drive into Nibelheim and sleep at Mom’s.”

  
“But then we wouldn’t be having such a good time under the stars.”

  
Cloud rolls his eyes. “You’re going to regret that.”

  
\---

  
Cloud wakes up to a familiar voice saying his name. He hasn’t heard it in so long but it’s as if they haven’t spent a day apart. It’s gentle but firm, warm and friendly.

  
“Cloud? Cloud, wake up.”

  
Cloud opens his eyes to Zack still sleeping. He sits up and groans; his back hurts. He stretches and then looks to his side to see Tifa, arms crossed on the truck with a smile on her face. He didn’t realize how much he missed her.

  
He stretches his arms above his head. “Oh, hey Tifa. What are you doing out here?”

  
Tifa gestures at the truck. “Someone saw the truck out here and thought it might be someone in trouble. I said I’d check it out and found you two fast asleep.”

  
Cloud scratches the back of his head. “Uh, yeah, Zack wanted to sleep under the stars and stuff.”

  
Tifa smiles. “Oh, that sounds romantic.”

  
“Sure, if you want to call it that.” It was at least a little romantic but he just wanted to sleep on a mattress, even if it was squeezed into the truck bed.

  
“Well we should wake this guy up. Your mom is waiting for you, you know.”

  
Cloud nods and shakes Zack by his shoulder. “Hey. Get up.”

  
Zack groans but he wakes up quickly. He’s a morning person, annoyingly so. He yawns and sits up with less resistance than Cloud did. “Aw man, my back.”

  
“Told you we should’ve gone into town.”

  
“Yeah, yeah...oh hey, Tifa, how’s it going?”

  
Tifa sighs and adjusts her cowboy hat. “Going good, I was just telling Cloud that you two should head in, now.”

  
Zack agrees and stands up in the truck, then hoists himself over the edge. The truck bobs up and down, then once more as Tifa rounds to the bumper and climbs into the bed. 

  
The truck starts up and Cloud lurches forward a bit as he takes off. He doesn’t often ride in the back like this but it’s far from his first time. Tifa seems to be enjoying herself and takes the rough ride much better than Cloud.

  
“Onwards to Nibelheim!” Zack announces, arm out the window pointed towards the town in the distance.

**Author's Note:**

> my fic blog is [raptorbox](http://raptorbox.tumblr.com)!


End file.
